Florida

Jury Forewoman’s ‘Boring, Boring, Boring’ FB Post Could Help Force New Trial in Rape Case

Updated: As of yesterday, two assistant public defenders in Florida reportedly were simply seeking to subpoena a jury forewoman’s Facebook records following published comments questioning her impartiality by another member of the panel that convicted their client in a rape case. That panel member said in a post-trial Facebook post…

Oct 29, 2010 7:24 PM CDT

‘Totally Fooled’ by Now-Convicted Rothstein, Law Partner Tries to Explain What He Did for $450K Pay

“Totally fooled” by his then-law partner, Scott Rothstein, who is now serving a 50-year sentence for running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, a Florida lawyer tried to explain in a deposition today what he did to earn $450,000 a year from Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler—plus another $475,000 in payments for a…

Oct 28, 2010 7:59 PM CDT

‘Spectacular Fall’ for Name Partner Adorno, Now Facing Suspension for Class Action Settlement Role

The Florida Bar had sought a six-month suspension, and then a state-court judge serving as a referee had recommended only a reprimand. But the Florida Supreme Court unanimously agreed that a name partner of the nation’s largest minority-owned law firm should be suspended for his role in negotiating a $7…

Oct 28, 2010 6:27 PM CDT

Election Round-Up: Fed’l Judge Smacks Down Conn.‘s Potentional Ban of WWE Garb at Polls

For Connecticut voters who want to wear a Stone Cold Steve Austin costume to the polls on Tuesday, in a nod to Halloween and the retired professional wrestling star, the Christian Science Monitor has good news: They will apparently be allowed to do so, under a federal judge’s ruling that…

Oct 28, 2010 9:00 AM CDT

Lawyer for ‘Hiccup Girl’ May Assert Tourette’s Defense

A lawyer representing a Florida teen once famous for unstoppable hiccups says her Tourette’s Syndrome may be cited as a defense against a charge of murder. Jennifer Mee, 19, is accused of luring a man to a meeting where he was robbed and killed, the Associated Press reports. In 2007…

Oct 27, 2010 2:03 PM CDT

11th Circuit Mulls Bid by ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Plaintiffs to Remain Anonymous Despite Suit

Legal counsel for four young women told a federal appeals court today that their clients should be allowed to proceed with a civil suit over being filmed as teenagers for Girls Gone Wild videos without having to reveal their names to the public. But lawyers for two media organizations that…

Oct 26, 2010 6:26 PM CDT

Report: Court Tried to Protect Worker from Socially ‘Inept’ Judge by Hiding Her Desk

Before banning a Florida judge from the Osceola County Courthouse, officials tried to prevent him from offering unwanted attention to a court worker by changing her cellphone number and moving her desk to a secret location, she testified today at a legal ethics trial. But Orange-Osceola Circuit Judge N. James…

Oct 25, 2010 11:29 PM CDT

Town Agrees to Dim Lights to Protect Sea Turtles

Bowing to pressure from federal and state officials, a south Florida town has agreed to dim the lights along its beachfront to protect nesting sea turtles. Local government along with local businesses in Hollywood will bear the expense of retrofitting or replacing too-bright lights along the Atlantic coast that distract…

Oct 25, 2010 5:15 PM CDT

Another 198 Layoffs Follow Business Slowdown at Foreclosure Firm Under Fire

A litigation support company for a South Florida law firm known for its high number of foreclosure filings has announced another 198 layoffs, after losing business following criticism of its document practices. That brings to nearly 300 the total number of layoffs at DJSP Enterprises after David Stern’s law firm…

Oct 25, 2010 4:23 PM CDT

How a BigLaw Refugee Spurred a Foreclosure Uproar

A small bankruptcy law firm housed in a Florida strip mall next to a dentist helped uncover foreclosure paperwork problems that led GMAC to suspend foreclosure sales and spurred a nationwide uproar over “robo-signers.” The Ice Law Firm in Royal Palm Beach was founded in 2008 by former BigLaw refugee…

Oct 21, 2010 1:30 PM CDT

Suit Claims Lawyer Loudly Called Ex-Client a Deadbeat in Public Encounter

A former client claims in a defamation lawsuit that his lawyer yelled at him and called him a deadbeat during an encounter at a Lowe’s home improvement store in Florida. The suit claims Ocala, Fla., lawyer Henry Ferro had previously made harassing phone calls over a disputed bill for representation…

Oct 20, 2010 12:49 PM CDT

Federal Prosecutor Won’t Be Charged for Boxer-Clad Dip in a Pool

A federal prosecutor in Miami won’t be formally charged for taking a dip in his boxer shorts at a bar-side outdoor pool last month. Police arrested Sean Cronin after a mom complained that he exposed more than his skivvies as he exited the pool, requiring her to shield her daughter’s…

Oct 19, 2010 1:54 PM CDT

Foreclosure Lawyer Under Scrutiny Lived the American Dream, Owns a Bugatti, Yacht and Mansions

Florida foreclosure lawyer David J. Stern lived the American dream before his high-volume operations came under investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s office. Stern’s firm received more than 6,000 foreclosures a month and managed 100,000 at any given time, according to a regulatory filing in the sale of his non-legal…

Oct 19, 2010 12:08 PM CDT

After Initial Nix by One County Court, Fla. AG Wins Subpoena for Law Firm Docs From Another

Slapped down by a Palm Beach County Circuit Court judge when he tried to subpoena documents from one “foreclosure mill” law firm, Florida’s attorney general has tried again in Broward County concerning another such law firm and won the ruling he sought. Attorney Jeffrey Tew, who represents David Stern and…

Oct 15, 2010 4:29 PM CDT

Federal Judge Green-Lights Challenge to Health Care Reform Act

A federal judge in Florida has given the green light to a challenge by 20 states of the recent health care reform legislation backed by the Obama administration. However, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson yesterday dismissed a number of claims in the Northern District of Florida case even as he…

Oct 15, 2010 10:00 AM CDT